Vaping at School: The Law, Policy & Practical Strategies

Jasmine Wightman of TASB hosted “Vaping at School: The Law, Policy & Practical Strategies” as part of ED311’s Education Law for Principals webinar series.  Vaping may not be a new trend anymore, but litigation over it might be.  Luckily, Jasmine provided practical and enlightening advice for districts as they grapple with students who vape, and she gifted the audience with numerous resources for prevention and education.

Jasmine guided the audience through a crash course on the health effects of vaping (especially on youth) and the federal and state legislation in response.  Polling of the webinar’s live audience proved that vaping is a common problem and that many districts focus on more traditional disciplinary measures when faced with a kid and their vape on campus.  She reminded us what the law requires of school boards and district policies, and she walked us through disciplinary procedures, including student rights and the law.

The audience was also pointed towards a fascinating read: Edweek’s article “School Districts Are Suing Juul Over Youth Vaping. Do They Stand a Chance?” The article describes school districts as “de facto first responders” who are also in a “position to be leaders” in the fight against youth vaping.  School districts are often the first line of defense against vaping, and they also shoulder the burden and the literal cost of prevention programs, discipline programs, counseling programs, and treatment programs for addicted students.  But school districts also have the unique opportunity to educate and prevent youth vaping better than any other entity.  As such, Jasmine provided almost a dozen excellent resources for districts to use for preventing youth vaping through intervention and education with an emphasis on restorative practices.

We don’t know how the pending lawsuit between almost 100 school districts against Juul will pan out, nor do we know how future litigation involving vaping will trend.  But what we can do in the meantime is educate our youth and help keep them safe.

To access this great webinar and the resources it contains, please check out this year’s Education Law for Principals.

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